A senior Iranian official says the United States, Israeli regime and certain countries in the Middle East are supporting Takfiri terrorists in the region, stressing that such extremists and their sponsors are on the verge of annihilation.

“Terrorists and extremist and Takfiri movements are backed by the US, the Zionists and some regional countries that do not want stability, security, independence and unity among regional countries,” Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior advisor to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on international affairs, said in a meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri in Beirut on Friday.

He added that all terrorists and Takfiri groups in the region would be eliminated in the near future.

He emphasized that Iran welcomes Lebanon’s stability and independence and pointed to last month's remark by Hariri that he will join a coalition government with Hezbollah, saying, “The formation of a coalition government is undoubtedly a success for all the Lebanese people.”

The Lebanese premier, for his part, stressed the importance of stepping up resistance against extremist and Takfiri groups to tackle the serious challenges they are posing to the region.

Velayati’s meeting with Nasrallah

Velayati, who arrived in Beirut on Thursday to attend the second International Union of Resistance Scholars conference, also held a meeting with Secretary General of the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Friday.During the meeting, Velayati and Nasrallah exchanged views about the latest regional developments.

The senior Iranian official also met with Lebanese Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri.

Speaking after his meeting with Berri, the Leader’s advisor said Tehran and Beirut believe that the recent achievements made in the fight against terrorists in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq were in fact a victory for the resistance front and would be beneficial to the entire region.

“The Americans and Zionists seek to sow discord and defeat the resistance front and are currently exerting the highest level of pressure on Syria to make it fail,” Velayati said.

The senior Iranian official also said Syrian government forces will advance soon to take Raqqah, which US-backed militants seized from Daesh last month.

"We will witness in the near future the advance of government and popular forces in Syria and east of the Euphrates, and the liberation of Raqqah city," he said in televised comments during his Beirut visit.

He emphasized that the US intends to partition Syria; however, Iran and Lebanon are in agreement that Washington would fail to achieve this goal.

Need for regional cooperation to thwart US, Israeli plots

Also in a meeting with Lebanese President Michel Aoun, the top Iranian official stressed the importance of the enhancement of cooperation among regional countries to thwart US-Israeli plots aimed at sowing discord.

“Lebanon’s success in driving terrorist groups out has had positive and important consequences for Lebanon and the region,” Velayati added.

“Regional countries must strengthen the recent achievements through diplomatic and political efforts and further coordination so that we can witness the restoration of stability to the region,” he added.

The Leader’s advisor emphasized that the recent victories against terrorist groups in Lebanon were the outcome of unity between the country’s people and government.

The Lebanese president, for his part, commended Iran’s role in promoting stability and security in the region.

He called for the further expansion of relations with Iran.

Velayati also on Friday sat down with Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil.